New ‘at home’ service to support elderly

An entrepreneur from Norfolk is expanding his pioneering home service to elderly residents in the Sleaford area creating new local jobs.

Darren Gibson explains he started up Reaching Out (www.reaching-out.co.uk) in answer to the growing need for reliable and trustworthy home care and support as well as garden maintenance and window cleaning services to help retired people remain living in their own homes using their own care budgets.

He said: “My business started in King’s Lynn. We provide much needed care and support services that social services are now referring clients to and also we provide a safeguarding home and garden business to prevent vulnerable people from being ripped off. We are looking to create jobs for local people and see this as a much needed service in the area,” he said.

“We strive to help individuals and families not only to make the right choice but to also be aware of their rights and options. We are able to investigate what, if any, benefits you may be entitled to and assist you throughout the application process to support your ongoing independence.”

Mr Gibson said he began providing a support service for family members caring for a loved one. He said: “The demands of caring for a loved one have a serious impact on a carer’s own life and we were finding many spouses, children or friends were becoming stressed and unwell in this role rather than enjoying the relationship. Often the person receiving the care was also unhappy with this scenario.”

His service will now clean, make and strip beds, do the washing and ironing, prepare meals and drinks and observe eating and fluid intake of a client. They also provide sitting and befriending services to prevent isolation and an overnight service to save people having to go into care homes or respite centres, instead being able to stay in familiar surroundings.”

Reaching Out also provides a support service to unpaid carers, offering a regular reminder call for medication, meals or a chance to offload anxieties.

They have an emergency system where an appointed responder can be alerted to check on the client. “This can save lives,” said Mr Gibson.

The cleaning and gardening service grew out of popular demand and they have been recruiting locally.